Technology improves every day, continuously expanding consumer demand for increasingly compact electronic devices, for example, mobile phones, cameras, tablet personal computers, personal digital assistants, vehicle camera device, VR tracker, etc. In that key components for the optical imaging lenses incorporated into consumer electronic products should keep pace with technological improvements in order to meet the expectations of consumers' expectations. Some important characteristics of an optical imaging lens include image quality and size. However, reducing the size of the imaging lens while achieving good optical characteristics and enlarging field of view and aperture in respect to driving or an insufficient light environment presents challenging problems. For example, in a typical optical imaging lens system having four lens elements, the distance from the object side surface of the first lens element to an image plane along the optical axis is too large to accommodate the slim profile of today's cell phones or digital cameras.
Decreasing the dimensions of an optical lens while maintaining good optical performance may not only be achieved by scaling down the lens. Rather, these benefits may be realized by improving other aspects of the design process, such as by varying the material used for the lens, or adjusting the assembly yield.
In this manner, there is a continuing need for improving the design characteristics of small sized optical lenses. Achieving these advancements may require overcoming unique challenges, even when compared to design improvements for traditional optical lenses. However, refining aspects of the optical lens manufacturing process that result in a lens that meets consumer demand and provides upgrades to imaging quality are always desirable objectives for industries, governments, and academia.